


The Civil War

by Eustacia Vye (eustaciavye)



Series: Avengers Academy [6]
Category: Avengers Academy (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-15 13:00:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11806494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eustaciavye/pseuds/Eustacia%20Vye
Summary: Tony and Steve take completely different approaches to things. It had built up a lot of tension, and of course Hydra was going to take advantage of that. Everyone else on the campus wasn't about to let their rivalry destroy friendships.





	The Civil War

**Author's Note:**

> Real Life was so hectic I couldn't even post this sooner, though I did have it written.
> 
> There was SO MUCH DRAMA in the last story, and I honestly hadn't expected them to take such a turn. ::shakes fist:: But hey, they're college kids, they're allowed to be confused and angsty and moody as well as happy. We can't all be Jan, after all. Though we sure will try to be! Now back to the Civil War Event...

"I don't know if I've ever seen Fury outside of Avengers Hall before!" Janet chirped, taking hold of Sharon's arm at lunch. "That lipstick laser is amazing. I never thought I would see it in person, and it's fabulous."

"I kinda like my smoke bombs," Sharon Carter confessed. She looked sadly at the choices for lunch at the counter. "The food isn't that bad here, but the hamburger sucks."

"Oh, I've never tried it here, to be honest. Natasha calls it mystery meat."

"I'm looking for the world's greatest hamburger."

"I hear ya," Janet agreed with a sigh. "Tony programmed the Stark bots to do a lot, but it's asking a bit much for them to be perfect at _everything."_

"Still, it's great that he's trying. I understand he and Steve aren't really getting along right now, but at least they're both interested in getting rid of Hydra. Those guys won't stand a chance."

"Between robots and all those cute recruits, of course not," Janet said. "I suppose they're still doing the elementary school thing and sitting at different tables."

"It's sad, really," Sharon murmured. "Should we just head outside and eat in the quad, then?"

"Ooh. We can people watch and gossip. This place is always buzzing."

Sharon snorted her laughter. "You just love that pun, don't you?"

"Of course I do!"

They didn't get a chance to go too far before Steve caught sight of them. "Sharon! Jan!" He was grinning from ear to ear, which Jan immediately found suspicious. "Remember how you said you wanted to train like I do?"

"Yes," Janet replied promptly. "But I only get the party started, Steve. I'm not going to Charleston for eight hours straight."

"Seriously?" Sharon asked, gaping at Steve.

"Good cardiovascular exercise," he replied with a shrug, not concerned at all. "There's a new and improved obstacle course up!"

"Nuh-uh!" Janet cried. "The obstacle course is crazy! Fire and lasers and that wall that Bucky decides to dive off of and put in a tuck and roll? No way! I like Tony's DDR and virtual reality game better. Why does Sif get to play for four hours at a time?" she whined.

"Not to mention Natasha and T'Challa," Sharon pointed out. "That seems like a lot more fun to me," she added in the face of Steve's glower.

"That doesn't teach you how to be tough!"

"Well, with how often Tony falls with the VR helmet on," Janet said thoughtfully, "I think it is."

Steve frowned at them. "Doesn't he have any safety protocols on that thing?"

Janet gave him a dismissive wave. "When he'd rather just arm wrestle you? No way."

"You see!" Steve cried, gesturing wildly. "This is why he should have listened to me. He needs discipline, not more play time. He's getting hurt."

"Aw, it almost seems like you care," Janet chirped.

"Of course I do! I never said I didn't!"

"So why don't you just talk to him?" Sharon asked.

Ignoring the question, Steve just looked at them both in that earnest way they had. "Think about trying the new obstacle course, okay? Bucky and I are going to head there, and I think it would be fantastic for all of us to go training together."

"After lunch," Sharon said, lifting her drink. "Can't cramp up if we're dodging lasers."

"Good point," Steve acknowledged. "I'll see you later."

"You are my hero," Janet joked once he was out of earshot. They parked on a bench in the quad near Avengers Hall. The Enchantress was across the way, tossing her hair and giving everyone haughty looks in her attempts to make herself feel superior. Both ladies studiously ignored her, and instead commented on some of the SHIELD recruits that were training under Steve's direction. "The boys are kind of cute, but they're all kind of generic looking, don't you think? I can't tell most of them apart."

Sharon nodded. "Geez, this place is packed with tough-girl SHIELD agents."

"Yay! I'm so glad I'm not the only one that appreciates that!" Janet chirped. Her enthusiasm didn't even dim when she saw a Hydra thug pass on the quad. She zapped him with an energy bolt and laughed when he jumped and looked around, startled. "That never gets old."

Crossbones stalked after one of the thugs at the other end of the quad, face paint making him seem even more sinister. Janet frowned a little. "Not my favorite character," she admitted. "He was with Hydra forever."

"As a mercenary," Sharon told her, shrugging. "It's not like he actually believed in anything Red Skull was saying. At the time, Red Skull was just the highest bidder." She gave Crossbones a bland look as he went past their bench, scowling and making a fist at the thug. "Fury's going to create another group, actually. The Thunderbolts. I came across the information when I was trying to break into his office."

"Really?" Janet squeaked. "Spill! Spill!"

"Former criminals, basically. They're going to do the dirtier side of heroing."

"Oh, like Taskmaster?"

"Exactly."

Janet sat there thoughtfully for a moment, then pulled a face at Enchantress' back when she got up to leave. "We should come up with a team, then. Or think up a way to get Tony and Steve talking again. This is just silly."

"Right. Because we're all trying to fight Hydra anyway."

"The last party I planned didn't work, but Natasha stopped getting all mopey every time I wanted to talk about Loki, so some good came out of it," Janet mused. "I'll have to go plan some more parties and think of some games that will _definitely_ work."

"How do you propose to do that?"

"I dunno," Janet shrugged, getting to her feet. "But I'm sure twenty cappuccinos will give me a totally awesome idea!"

***

Loki took a look at Natasha in the Iron Widow costume. "Mmmm. This is why you've been spending so much time with Tony, is it? You look particularly dark and devious. It suits you."

"I've been getting a lot of compliments," Natasha replied with a hint of a smile.

"We have a lot of opportunity to create mischief," Loki began.

"Of course," she said sweetly. "But I don't think you'll like what I have planned."

He lofted an eyebrow at her. "Besides trying to foist me off on another in a misguided attempt to care for me?"

Natasha flushed and her gaze dropped to the floor. "Look, I—"

Reaching out to take her arm, Loki let his hands drift over the metal alloy of the Iron Widow suit. "I think you show how you care in the only ways you know how. Correct?"

She looked up and nodded. "You never formally chose a side, you know."

"Between Armor-Man and America-Man, do you really think I'd choose one?"

"There's the side I'm on."

Loki snorted. "It offers you benefits like this armor and the chance to break into Fury's vaults."

"Let's not forget Tony's cheese fridge," Natasha added with a smile.

He laughed softly. "They are pretty tasty," he agreed.

"There are a lot of Hydra thugs on campus here. Agent 13 seems pretty confident about her ability to crack into Fury's office, so I figured I would take the vault."

"You like her," Loki murmured cautiously.

"Not like that!" Natasha said, looking up in a combination of amusement and indignation. "She's another spy, and she's got lots of secrets. More than Peter Parker does, at least."

"Don't think I didn't notice that 'date' you went on with him."

"Test run for our sharing thing. Sort of. I don't like him like that," she assured Loki, rubbing his chest fondly. "It was really an interrogation date. Whatever his secrets are, they aren't a danger to the academy."

"His aim is pretty terrible on the blasting range," Loki pointed out. "That could very well be a hazard to the rest of us."

"Might keep Crossbones busy," Natasha said with a shrug. "He's a mercenary and only concerned with his payout, but if Odin doesn't come through..."

Loki snorted again. "Odin's coffers are overflowing with gold and jewels. That mercenary will get paid, not to worry." He smiled in an almost condescending way. "Even America-Man isn't worried about Crossbones. Why are you?"

"He's joining Team Tony," Natasha said. "I don't trust him, but I can work with people I don't trust if I have to."

"Perhaps a few protection spells?" Loki offered, running his fingers across the hourglass on the front of her armor. Green magic crackled between his fingers. "I won't let him or anyone else harm what's mine."

Her smile was sincere and made Loki's breath catch with the promise in it. "Thank you. I would really appreciate that. See? I can appreciate the value in working together."

Bending down to kiss her softly, Loki smiled in return. "I'll put together the spells and meet you at your dorm room tonight."

Natasha chuckled. "Good. I was looking for an excuse to avoid Tony showing off his Capbuster armor again. My God, that suit is monstrously awful."

"Well, if he wanted to distract Madame Hydra and Red Skull, he got exactly what he wanted."

"Good point." She kissed him again and then backed up. "Off to scan the campus again. I'll see you tonight, Loki."

***

It was obvious that something was wrong when Bucky missed open mic night, especially after he passed out flyers on the quad, at the dorms, the cafeteria and library. "My band's playing tonight," he said proudly. The other students generally looked forward to it, as the open mic night and poetry slams were a great way to express themselves without smashing something with their fists. While some of his lyrics didn't appeal to the entire campus population, people from the greater NYC area were actually starting to visit and be fans of the Winter Soldier.

So it was a big deal when he skipped his concert.

Steve frowned and scoured the campus looking for him. Especially with all of the Hydra thugs everywhere, he was concerned that one of them might have tried to get Bucky and bring him back to Red Skull. "Come on, people," he boomed. Even members of Team Tony were mobilized to aid in the search

"I have anomalous readings coming from the lab," Tony said over comms, circling the campus overhead. "Someone relay that over to Team Cap."

"You know we're all on the same comm frequency, right?" Rhodey asked, voice Sahara dry.

"So you'll relay it, then?" Tony asked in reply.

"Someone tell Team Tony we're on it," Steve said into the comms, gesturing at Sam to break off and head to the lab from a different walkway.

"Someone tell _both_ team captains to grow the hell up," Natasha muttered.

"That was a bad language word!" Maria piped up, grinning behind her clipboard. She was directing a number of SHEILD recruits to check the inside of the dorms, especially the Maverick dorm; for all that there were reformed students there, she obviously didn't trust them.

"Ha ha," Steve grumbled. "I _can_ and do curse, you know."

"What? Really? And ruin that pristine reputation?" Tony snarked.

"Are you guys actually having a conversation with each other across the quad in the form of insults?" Scott wondered.

Temporarily shutting off her comm unit, Janet patted his arm. "You're so pretty, but sometimes you're pretty dumb, too."

"Hey!" he cried, affronted. Over the comms, both Steve and Tony were grumbling and insisting that they weren't having a conversation at all.

"You know, they were _almost on speaking terms,"_ she hissed at him. "Now you just undid all my hard work from the last two weeks!"

Scott looked sheepish and then ducked in to give her a kiss. "I owe you."

"Big time," she confirmed with a nod. "After hours in the City, not in the dorms."

He winced but agreed. It was going to be an expensive apology, then.

"Bucky sighted near the Cosmic Combat Simulator!" Sharon reported. "Oh, shit, is he going after Rocket's weapons rack?!"

"I copy!" Natasha reported, flying there straightaway in her Iron Widow costume.

Though most of the students converged on the simulator, it didn't even seem to matter. He was unconcerned with the others, metal fist curled tight, and the blank stare in Bucky's eyes was actually frightening. It seemed almost as though he couldn't actually see what was in front of him. Sharon tried to get his attention, and he strode right past her toward the weapons rack, hands still at his sides. Natasha ducked into his line of sight and closed her hands around the metal fist. He didn't even change expression as he tried to shake her off, so Natasha went into full attack mode as if she was in the Robo Dojo.

Bucky didn't change expression once, not even when she flipped and had him in a choke hold with her thighs, garrote wire from her wrist cuffs extended to bind up his metal arm. He got his right arm tucked in and around the wire, ignoring any pain it must have put on his palm.

"Natasha!" Sam cried, running up to the simulator. He had gotten hold of a drinks tray and held it as if it was Steve's shield. "I'm on it!"

Her back flip off of Bucky was her usual study in grace, making it look like such an effortless and balletic move. Bucky didn't even stop to admire the move, and staggered when the heel of her reinforced boots hit the back of his head. The tray flung across the empty space hit the back of his head as well, and Bucky hit the ground.

When he didn't get up, everyone mobilized to restrain him and bring him to the Triskelion.

"This isn't Bucky!" Steve wailed, his distressed expression making the others feel guilty. "I know it isn't! This isn't him!"

"It might not be," Natasha said, voice low and concerned, "but we still need to make sure he won't hurt the rest of us on campus." She reached out and squeezed his arm, then pulled him in for a tight hug. "Something's going on, Steve. We'll figure it out, okay? Bucky's one of us, and we won't let this go on. Somehow, we'll make this right."

Steve watched dubiously as Bucky was brought to the Triskelion. At least he wasn't in a glass cage that Tony had specially built to neutralize his abilities. If that had happened, he would tear down the Academy to its foundations to get Bucky back.

***

Wasp hadn't intended to crash into Crossbones while texting; she had texting and walking down to a science, after all. But he didn't seem so fearsome under all that makeup, if only because now that she was up close, she could see that most of his pockets were empty and not full of backup ammunition as he said it was. He just wanted the reputation of a badass, which she could certainly respect. "Oh, hey," she said, looking up with a half smile to cover up her prior ill will. "Still beating up on Hydra goons?"

"Ye-eah," he drawled, clearly not sure what to make of her friendliness.

"Cool. Just be sure to save some for me, all right? I'm getting all tough and buff to kick Hydra ass, okay? Gimme my moment to look badass, too."

Crossbones chuckled. "You know what, Wasp? I like you."

Though it was unexpected, she still preened at the compliment. "That's so sweet."

"Yeah. You're the craziest person I know, and I love it. Problem is, you're too nice under all that crazy." He was serious, even with her pouting expression. Really? How could he be immune to that face? She'd spent hours perfecting it!

"Let me handle it," he continued. "I got some guys I'm talking to, we're getting some feelers out to take apart Hydra. You don't have to worry about the mess."

"Team Evil, you mean?"

He actually winced. "Knock it off with that, okay? The Thunderbolts aren't evil. We're trying to do better now."

"Oh. Team Chaotic Neutral, then?" Janet offered.

After pondering that for a moment, Crossbones nodded. "I'll take it. Oh, and tell your boy Cap that there's a reason why his old buddy is acting weird again."

Janet nodded and waved at him before sprinting back across campus to the obstacle course. It was a pretty fast jog, even in wedges. The constant ducking and weaving and running was helping, but she absolutely wasn't going to tell Steve that. Four hours at a clip was more than enough activity in her book! Speaking of which, she would hit the books in the library and try to study afterward. Maybe this time she wouldn't fall asleep. Maybe.

***

Steve, Janet and Sharon were camped out near the obstacle course, and Steve was frowning deeply. "But he acts like Bucky. I thought it was just nerves or something, because he was chatting up Natasha. But they seem to be getting along really well, and he's pretty popular at open mic night..."

"Natasha didn't know him before, wouldn't really know what to look for if something was different," Sharon said gently. "And she only knew him by his code name in intelligence circles. Meeting him here was her first exposure to _Bucky."_

"Who she thinks is hot, by the way," Janet said. She grinned at their incredulous looks. "It wasn't a secret, guys. I mean, he is. That soulful way he sings on the quad? _Come on!_ I'm dating Scott, but I'm not dead. He's a hottie."

 _"Anyway,"_ Sharon said, shooting Janet an irritated look for derailing the conversation, "I have been poking around a lot. Red Skull seems to be using some kind of frequency that's erasing his memories and replacing them, which is why he's acting so erratic lately. I mean really, tossing a football around campus for a minute at a time and _not_ aiming it at Hydra goons? Or trying to use Red Skull's head like a football? Really?"

Steve sighed. "Okay, you're right. He never liked bullies either, he'd've taken Red Skull down at least a couple pegs."

"Tony thinks he can tap into a frequency that'll counter whatever Red Skull used."

"Tony just wants to be the hero," Steve groused. "He's too reckless. He might end up doing more damage to Bucky in the process..."

"We talked about all of that, and he's sure it's safe. Black Widow and I will create distractions, and he'll work it out. He doesn't want you to fight your friend. He's just too proud to say so."

If anything, Steve looked even more ashamed of himself. "I had him all wrong, huh? I really thought he was all about the glory and not willing to do actual work."

"His work is different," Janet said, reaching over to give Steve a hug. "And I'm not just saying that because he's my bestie. It's just that he thinks his best quality is his brain, and that's all that people want from him."

"Which lots of people have," Sharon pointed out.

Steve frowned. "Why do I get the feeling that you think I've been unreasonable?"

"Because you _both_ are stubborn and you _both_ have good points. You do realize that both teams have been kicking Hydra ass, right?" Janet said.

"Maybe..."

Sharon grinned. "Well, Black Widow and I have a date."

"What? I thought she said she wasn't into dating girls!" Janet cried, affronted.

"Not that kind of date. There were weird readings in the time fog. Loki thinks his brother Thor is trapped in it near the Hulk."

"This school is so weird," Janet said, shaking her head.

"Definitely," Sharon agreed. "And I find it a little weird that Director Fury keeps bringing all of these villains into the fold, like we can't handle this on our own."

That statement made Steve look even more troubled. "You don't think we're training enough to handle incoming disasters? But I've made such a good training program..."

"No, I think we're definitely good on that front," Janet declared. "You've made Gamora and Nebula both jealous of how much time you spend on this obstacle course. Not fair you've made it off limits to them. I think she's taking it out on Drax in their cage matches, though."

"Gotta love all the tough guys in this place," Sharon laughed. "Never a dull moment."

"That's not necessarily a good thing," Steve sighed.

"It is for me!"

"Adrenaline junkie," he said, shaking his head with affectionate exasperation.

"As if you weren't, too," Sharon said, laughing again. "I'll tell you what Widow says, okay?"

"You really think she's going to say anything?"

"If not, I'm sure Loki and I can weasel it out of her," Janet chirped.

"This doesn't actually make me feel very confident," Steve muttered. "Poor Natasha."

"That's because you know me so well!"

***

Huge swaths of Bucky's memory had been erased, and he had been manipulated over time, using the code name Winter Soldier. Loki cast a number of spells to unlock some of the memories that had been trapped. Unfortunately, this meant that Bucky started to remember the horrible things that had been done in Hydra's name when he had been part of that school. "I don't understand why you're helping me," he told Loki with a heavy sigh, "but thank you."

"I sympathize with your plight, Snowy Warrior." And he had feelings for Natasha that she reciprocated, and Loki wasn't about to see her hurt in any way if he could help it. "I believe that you and I can accomplish great things together."

Bucky brightened and smiled warmly at him. "Thank you. I really appreciate that."

Loki nodded, his confident expression still in place. Still, the gratitude warmed him, and he could see why everyone liked Bucky and wanted to help him through this. "The main goal is to eliminate Hydra."

"There's more than one school, though. I've been bounced around between so many boarding schools, threatening so many students... And that's just what I remember."

Pausing for a moment, Loki mentally steeled himself and smiled. "Then what you need is someone to help you investigate. I suggest Natasha."

"You want me to spend more time with your girlfriend," Bucky said, expression carefully blank.

"Of course. She's the best. Better than the Unlucky Agent in my opinion, though I am admittedly quite biased in that respect." He grinned widely, teeth sharp and eyes glinting. "I do notice how you stare at her. How you write songs about her."

Bucky gulped. "I don't mention her by name—"

"A Buck For A Widow?" Loki asked archly.

"Could be anyone."

"But it's Natasha."

"You angry? I haven't been making moves on your girl."

"I know, it's all been her doing. She's told me." His smile was a bit less predatory at Bucky's start of surprise. "I also know that if you hurt her in any way, she will _eviscerate_ you, and I will happily use your entrails for divination spells."

"Creepy." Bucky paused and considered that. "I can see why she likes you."

"And considering that it didn't frighten you, I can see why she likes you."

"So we're okay on that? If I ask her out?"

"I will not try to kill you for it. How's that?"

Bucky actually grinned at him, and the smile transformed his face. He was handsome in a rakish kind of way, a soft twist to his lips showing the care he actually had for others. "Deal. I'll go find Natasha and see what she says."

It was easier to put on a brave face for Loki, though. That was posturing and fronting, which he excelled at while attending Hydra school. Approaching Natasha at the library, Bucky took a deep breath to settle his nerves. _This mattered._ Her opinion meant everything, and if she laughed in his face, it would be devastating.

"Everybody says that you're the best at gathering intel, so I was hoping you would help me uncover more of my past. Loki's helping, but I know that you'll tell me the truth."

"Sometimes it's better to forget," Natasha said gently. She lifted her hand slightly, but didn't actually touch his arm. "You're doing great in classes here. Why not focus on that?"

"Is there something I'm missing?" Bucky asked, leaning in a little closer. "Like why I know you'll tell me what I need to hear, not just what I want to hear?"

She shot him a rueful smile. "It goes both ways, you know."

"As in...?"

"We did know each other once. A long time ago, before I came to the Academy here. You were with the Hydra goons and believing everything they said." She shrugged. "You were convinced they were the better guys and that Hydra School was the way to go. You didn't want to believe that they were thugs and bullies and would wreck other schools just to get ahead in the college ratings board. I gave up trying to convince you otherwise."

"So it really is better here..."

"Fury has his secrets and there's the time fog, don't get me wrong," she said quickly, holding up her hands. "But he lets us learn how best to use our skills. And we actually do help people in the City, not just ourselves. We're here now, and we're able to make things better."

"I write songs about the darkness to deal with things."

Natasha grinned at him. "I punch people."

Bucky laughed out loud. "But if I do that, people say awful things about me."

"The trick is to choose the _right_ people to punch."

"And maybe I shouldn't keep using the arm malfunctioning excuse. Especially if I use my right arm," he joked.

"That would help." She smiled broadly at him. "I've been studying the time fog with Sharon. It doesn't really affect you the same way. Want to help?"

"You trust me to help you with your work?" he asked, leaning back a bit in surprise.

"Maybe something that Hydra did to your brain gave you a special understanding of whatever is going on with the time anomalies."

"You just like me for my possible time fog knowledge," he teased, eyes lighting up.

"I don't like most people at all," Natasha pointed out, lips quirking.

"I seem to remember rumors saying that," Bucky acknowledged. 

She stepped forward and linked her fingers through his, that quirky smile still in place. "And do you listen to rumors or start them?"

He tightened his hands around hers and pulled her closer. "Let's start a few, doll," he murmured, right before he leaned in to kiss her.

***

"It's my fault," Tony sighed. "I was mostly mad that Wasp joined your side, but we've been hanging out every night gossiping about you guys anyway. Her Cap impersonation is almost better than mine."

"I might've given her some pointers," Steve admitted.

Tony couldn't help but smother his laughter, and even Steve's lips twitched into a smile. "It's my fault," Steve said finally. "I should be bigger than all of this. It's just that when it involves Hydra, and then I found out that they had Bucky..."

"Should we hug?"

"No."

Spreading his arms wide, Tony grinned. "I think we should hug."

"No."

"C'mon... The newscaster lady needs ratings! Us hugging would be an epic bromance."

Steve crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes. "Please, no."

"All right, all right. Since you asked nicely."

"Thank you."

Tony paused and looked at Steve thoughtfully. "We should probably actually talk more, huh?"

"I think that would be nice, yeah."

"But we beat up Red Skull first, right? Take out our manly aggression the proper way?"

Steve rolled his eyes again. "Do you ever get serious?"

"Not if I can help it. I think I'm allergic." Tony grinned at him, unrepentant. "I leave the serious to you. Maybe now Prince T'Challa, too. He does a very good serious face like you do."

"Let's just go rearrange Red skull's face," Steve suggested, reaching for his shield.

Tony nodded enthusiastically and then set off his repulsors to fly toward the quad. "I saw him and some of his guards on the quad. Beat you there!"

Groaning, Steve took off at a run to follow Tony. Of course he would turn this into a competition and try to win. Some things never changed.

The End


End file.
